MSS: Connor Green

Connor Green is an rising star in backstroke, and on today's edition of The Morning Swim Show, he talks about his goals not only at the 2012 Olympic Trials, but the near future. Green talks about training with Chuck Batchelor at Bluefish, why swimming multiple races at the recent CeraVe Invite will help him in the big meets and why he’s motivated by the talented group of 200 backstrokers also making noise right now.

(Note: This is an automated service where some typos and grammatical errors may occur.)

Peter Busch: This is The Morning Swim Show for Thursday, January 26th 2012. I'm your host Peter Busch. In the FINIS monitor today we'll talk to Connor Green, the 15-year-old from Bluefish Swim Club. He is coach Chuck Batchelor's latest age group star and Connor joins us right now in the FINIS monitor from Boston. Hey Connor, welcome to The Morning Swim Show. How are you?

Connor Green: Good, thanks for having me.

Peter Busch: Did we get you out of class today?

Connor Green: Yes, just a little.

Peter Busch: Which class are you missing right now?

Connor Green: My English class.

Peter Busch: Perfect, you can thank us later.

Connor Green: Thanks, thank you now.

Peter Busch: Well I said in the intro that you're Chuck's latest age group star, I guess we can also say workhorse - we say you recently at the CeraVe Invitational at Rutgers, you swam like 15 times in two days.

Connor Green: Yes, that was a rough weekend especially the 400 IM, 400 free back to back one night.

Peter Busch: Did you take a good nap on the bus ride home?

Connor Green: Yes, I did, long bus ride home.

Peter Busch: Why does Chuck do that to you guys?

Connor Green: Just because when I get to Trials, I only have two/three events, so I won't have a problem like hanging on through my taper and just be ready, prepared for everything that can be thrown at us during the meets and stuff.

Peter Busch: So Trials you qualified for the 200 back and 400IM, correct?

Connor Green: Yes, so far.

Peter Busch: So far - I like the confidence. Will you have another meet before then that you try and make cuts where you're tapered and shaved?

Connor Green: Well I'm not shaving until we get to Trials but I'll be rested for Florida Sectionals down in Orlando in March so I'm hoping to make it 100 back and 200 IM also.

Peter Busch: Very nice. We should note that you recently went 2:02.9 in the 200 backstroke and we did a little research and found out that's a New England swimming record for 15 to 18 years old. It used to be held by Rick Carey - pretty good company, '84 Olympic medalist.

Connor Green: I didn't know that actually.

Peter Busch: You didn't know?

Connor Green: No.

Peter Busch: I have to give credit to Jeff Commings for looking that one up. Well now you know, you're the fastest man in the history of New England swimming.

Connor Green: Yes, I guess.

Peter Busch: Hey, that will get you a hall pass or two, right?

Connor Green: Maybe.

Peter Busch: The 200 back - that's your baby event then you think?

Connor Green: Yes, definitely, I came down from 2:05 in August at Juniors so I want to break the two-minute barrier at trials and hopefully get on the Junior Pan Pac team.

Peter Busch: Now the Junior team, if this were any other country I guess we'd be looking at you for 2016, just penciling you in to the roster, but America happens to be pretty well stocked right now with teenage backstrokers - Jack Conger, Ryan Murphy, Jacob Pebley - you've got to feel like the guys behind Lochte and Phelps right now.

Connor Green: Yes, it's kind of frustrating but also kind of encouraging because I want Peirsol's record, the (1:57.0) record so that's my main goal right now by the time I turn 17.

Peter Busch: Well like you said it's good to have some other guys in the same age group that can push you and motivate you, right?

Connor Green: Yes, I guess I've been kind of looking up to Murphy for a while now because he's just been destroying everyone. He's only 16 and now I just feel kind of good finally catching up to him and getting there.

Peter Busch: Hey, you're in the groove for sure. Your old teammate Elizabeth Beisel, you used to swim about the same time as her in the 200 back but now she's probably bummed that you've dropped a few seconds and she can't keep up with you anymore.

Connor Green: Yes, I think she's kind of mad about that - same thing in the 400 IM.

Peter Busch: Do you ever still talk with her?

Connor Green: Yes, I talk with her all the time. She was telling me how good of an interview you are and everything.

Peter Busch: Well she's very kind, and she's - I've said it many times - she's the best guest we've ever had here on the show. Connor, that's something for you to shoot for right there - swim like Aaron Peirsol and interview like Elizabeth Beisel - you've got good mentors, right?

Connor Green: Yes.

Peter Busch: All right give us an idea - we've talked to Chuck before about the heavy volume that he gives for his swimmers. What's Christmas training like for you there at Bluefish?

Connor Green: So on the day after Christmas we left 8 am to go down to St. Mary's College in Maryland for a week because we don't have long course pool opportunity up in here, so we go on training trips. And we did like 125,000 in six and a half days so that kind of explains it.

Peter Busch: Yes, I know you're in English class but we can do the math there. That's a lot of yardage.

Connor Green: Yes, a lot.

Peter Busch: That's a lot of meters I should say.

Connor Green: Yes, meter-age.

Peter Busch: There you go - we're making up words now here on The Morning Swim Show. Kind of tell us a little bit about you outside of the pool, what do you like to do, do you play any other sports or do you hang out with girls, what do you do?

Connor Green: I used to play basketball but swimming kind of takes up all my time now but I'm so in love with the Celtics and the Patriots, two weekends from now, Super Bowl.

Peter Busch: Yes, the Patriots got a little - have some revenge to exact on the Giants, don't they?

Peter Busch: Well Connor, we just wanted some viewers to get to know you better because we have the feeling they're going to hear your name more and more over the next two years so thanks for coming on the show.

Connor Green: Thanks for having me.

Peter Busch: All right, that's Connor Green joining us today from Boston and that is it for today's show. I'm Peter Busch reminding you to keep your head down at the finish.